The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-12
improvements in Quicksilver Mining,

improvements in Quicksilver Mining.
1t Is we'll known to evory ono familiar with
practical metailurgy that American miners
of the precious metals would DO almost
wholly dependent on imported quicksilver
for the reduction of their ORES, but for the
output from tho deposits at Now Alniaden in
California. III tho production Of American
quicksilver were to decline materially DO
low It's normal volume, the price Of
the imported article would become 80 high
as to rendsr impossible the mining and re-
ducing Of many low-grade ores which are
now prontably trcatod. The management,
therefore, Of tho works Mt New Almadon is o
subject OF public moment, for their delivery
Of cinnnbar Is In truth the driving wheel Of q
great national industry. Unluckily. tho out
come of quicksilver from that source has un-
dergone very marked variations at differ
ent dates and at one time came
near ceasing altogether. How result thnt
would havo proved disastrous 10 American
miners Of tho precious metals was averted,
and how comparative regularity In the an
nual production of New Almaden quicksilver
was assured, we learn from the testimony
T6CcHbly BIVeu Ill StilOTHl0 ny 1AVl. d. Os
CHRISTIE Of tho State University.
When Prof. CHRISTIE first visited New Al
MAIDEN, he found that there had been for
many years lack Of forethought and pre-
caution In the prospecting and opening OF
veins Of cinnabar, together with great waste
fulness in the reducing processes and de-
plorablc Indifference to the health Of the
workmon. When a considerable deposit was
discovered. almost all the resources Of the
company would be applied to it's extrac-
ton. no adequate measures being taken to
simultaneously follow up other veins and
lay bare fresh orc bodies. The inevitable
consequence was violent fuctustion in the
delivery. and. therefore, In the price OF
quicksilver. Even when largo masses Of
cinnabar were in sight, and the reduction
works were taxed to their utmost capacity,
the cost of the marketable product was need
lessly increased through adherence to OBJ
solete and detective apparatus, which occa-
stoned the loss Of q large percentage Of quick
silver and exposed employees to so much
suffering and danger as to produce chronic
discomfort and compel tho payment Of
anomalous wages. With such q system. the
mining and treating Of cinnabar at New
Almaden had for some years only promised
a precarious profit. and they would probably
have come to an end but for the stimulus OPP
piled to quicksilver production by the dis
covery OF high-grade ores OF gold and silver
in the Consolidated Virginia and California
claims on the Comstock lode at Virginia City.
But, according to Prof. CHRIsT1E's testi-
mony, the methods Of mining and reducing
atNew Almaden have been radically changed.
The present superintendent, hlr. RANDoL,
has discarded tho old-fashioned intermittent
furnaces, which involved waste Of time and
labor, together with leakage OF quicksilver
by dripping or In the form OF vapor and into
which the workmcn had to enter while they
were still heated and reeking with quick
silver fumes, and withdraw the heated
ore by hand. Now. on the contrary, all the
cinnabar at New Almaden is treated In what
Prof. CHRISTIE designates as shelf fur
naces, which arc continuous In their mode
OF operation. That is to say, tho ore Is con-
tlnuously fed In at the top of the furnaces
and drawn out Mt the bottom. thus maintain
Ing the furnaces at a fixed temperature,
avoiding the waste OF labor and time and
minimizing leakage, while at the same time
shielding the workmen from tho poisonous
action OF the fumes.
The average cost Of extracting quicksilver
Is thus sensibIy diminished and steps equally
efficient have been taken to guard against
those oscillations OF price that formerly arose
from Interruptions In the output Of the
crude ores. Under tho present management
the work OF prospecting is necessarily pur-
sued, no matter what deposits may for the
moment DO uncovered, 30 that supplies
for tho reduction works may always be
counted on for long period to come
Prof CHRHrIE bears w!tnoss to tho signal
improvement in this particular; while. Us 10
tho furnaces now used at New AlmGdcn. he
pronounccs them the best equipped plant for
roasting fine quicksilver ores that exists in
the world, having especially In view the
methods and appliances applied ct Amadcn
In Spain, and at Idrla In Austria. These con-
illusions, coming as they do from a metal
lurgist Of indisputable competence, will DO
read with lively satisfaction by all persons
Interested In the mining industry.